NBA Rumors: How Deadline Deals Will Impact Coaching Carousel

NBA head coaching positions are about as stable as the Defense Against the Dark Arts job at Hogwarts.

We’ve already seen two coaches get the shaft this season, most recently with Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni resigning in New York. Pending what happens at the trade deadline, we might see more coaches axed this week.

The Dwight Howard situation is out of control. With Howard's status still uncertain about whether he’ll stick it out with the Magic long term, Orlando has given Howard the power to decide the fate of head coach Stan Van Gundy. Should Howard remain with the Magic, and the team fail to make a deep playoff run, Van Gundy becomes a likely candidate to not return.

The Suns look like they’re preparing for a rebuilding process, as future Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash isn’t getting any younger.

Nash has been the subject of many trade rumors and should Phoenix elect to move their prized point guard, we could see the franchise part ways with head coach Alvin Gentry at the season’s close. Without an established point guard, Gentry’s motion offense would in essence, go sterile. The team might opt to rebuild in another direction, thus rendering the fourth year head coach expendable.

Despite the talent in Atlanta, the team sits in the bottom half of Eastern Conference contenders with the sixth seed. The Hawks prized forward Josh Smith reportedly wants to be traded, and should the team elect to move Smith and not get suitable talent in return, head coach Larry Drew could find his team struggling to contend this season. A floundering Hawks squad would almost certainly put Drew on the hot seat.

Scott Skiles’ Bucks made their blockbuster move Monday by acquiring the electrifying Monta Ellis from Golden State, and now Skiles has the challenge of effectively pairing Ellis with his other scoring guard, Brandon Jennings. As Milwaukee makes a push for the eight seed in the East during the last leg of the season, we’ll see just how potent an Ellis-Jennings backcourt can be. If the Bucks falter down the stretch, Skiles might find himself looking for a job this summer.

The trade deadline is always full of bells and whistles and the unexpected, and in this league coaching decisions usually boil down to win or go home packing. We’ll have to wait and see what happens around the deadline to truly foresee what will happen with these coaches.